Books as a symbol for wisdom
One of the most important symbols found in the poem is the idea that books are symbols for wisdom. The narrator stresses this idea by highlighting how knowledge and implicitly wisdom is passed down through the written word and how we should appreciate books and regard them as having a great value.
The statue
The statue presented in the first book is an important symbol used by the narrator. The focus falls on the description of the legs, made out of clay and iron. This combination is used here as a symbol for the human nature. It is also used to transmit the idea that us, as humans, have both the possibility to do god and bad in equal measures.
Confess
A common motif in the poem is the idea that confessing your sins will improve your life. This is an idea promoted by the vast majority of the characters in the poem and is also presented as being the only way through which a person can achieve happiness and peace of mind.
Coming back to mature
The action in the first book takes place inside a forest and the main character walks with someone who tries to make the man in question repent and turn back to God. The men walk in the forest and the place is not chosen at random because it also has a symbolic meaning. The forest is used here as a symbol for returning to nature and thus returning back to God.
Virtue is the way to go
Another common motif in the poem is the attention and importance given to the idea of being virtues and a gentleman. The narrator focuses on this idea and stresses it from the begging that being a virtuous man is the only good thing a person can be in life. If a person is not virtuous, then he or she have sided with the dark forces and is no longer someone who can be called a good Christian.
